Millard South Football Routs Lincoln Standing Bear 56-7 in Playoff

Millard South Opens Class A Football Playoffs With Dominant 56-7 Victory Over Lincoln Standing Bear

Millard South answered every question surrounding its postseason readiness on Friday night, routing No. 15 seed Lincoln Standing Bear 56-7 in the first round of the Class A football playoffs at Buell Stadium. Bouncing back from a 41-17 loss to Omaha Westside that snapped a 20-game winning streak, the No. 2 seed Patriots piled up 542 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on each of their first eight possessions. The lopsided victory marked the fifth time this season that Millard South has secured a win by a margin of 32 points or more.

The dominant showing advances the Patriots to a 9-1 record and sets up a quarterfinal clash against Papillion-La Vista South. Taylor Mendenhall emphasized the team’s narrow focus moving forward.

“It’s one day at a time,” Mendenhall said. “They earned the right to play another week of football, and we don’t take that for granted.”

Trae Taylor Directs an Unstoppable Patriot Offense

Trae Taylor orchestrated a staggering offensive performance for Millard South, completing 16 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 70 yards and a score on seven rushing attempts. Taylor wasted no time establishing control on the opening possession, firing a slant pass to tight end Carter Margheim, who turned it into a 58-yard touchdown scamper.

Trae Taylor lost his defender 😳Millard South rolls past Lincoln Standing Bear 56-7 in the first round. pic.twitter.com/VZlygQqzuL

— https://x.com/HurrdatSports/status/2116309900712202633

Trae ended up audibling the play, and it got me open on the slant route and I saw nothing but green grass and took it for a touchdown, Margheim explained after the win.

Following a Lincoln Standing Bear punt, Taylor needed only three plays to double the lead. A play-action fake sprung Landon Schneider for a 49-yard touchdown strike. On the very first play of the second quarter, Taylor connected with Tay Ellis on a deep 63-yard scoring play to push the advantage to 28-0. Ellis finished the evening with six receptions for 98 yards.

The Patriots even demonstrated clock control right before halftime, executing an 11-play, 80-yard drive that consumed three minutes. After scrambling to keep a play alive at the Grizzly 7-yard line, Taylor narrowly avoided falling down, regained his balance, and outraced the defense to the pylon with just four seconds remaining on the clock to make it 49-7 at the break.

Explosive Big Plays and Stifling Defense

Millard South did not let up in the second half. On the opening snap of the third quarter, Taylor tossed a short pass to Xane Krause, who turned it into a 75-yard touchdown. Krause ended the night with three catches for 98 yards. In total, eight different players scored the Patriots’ eight touchdowns.

Millard South rolls past Lincoln Standing Bear 56-7 to send the Patriots to the quarterfinals. 🏈Trae Taylor accounts for 353 passing yards and four TDs in the win over the Grizzlies. pic.twitter.com/KkSgaapwwc

— https://x.com/THEnebpreps/status/2116310392876220723

While the offense operated at peak efficiency—with six of the scoring drives requiring four plays or fewer—the Millard South defense completely suffocated the Grizzlies. The Patriots restricted Lincoln Standing Bear (5-5) to a meager 47 total yards of offense, including negative 15 rushing yards. The lone bright spot for the visitors came when Chase Loecker connected with Caden Ahlers for a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Aidan Marshall, Grant Scribner, and Sir’Chris Swillie each contributed rushing touchdowns to round out the scoring barrage as the Patriots turned the page toward the state quarterfinals.